we sleep until the sun goes down
by katanafleet
Summary: set of drabbles, 100 words long each. basically tiny angsty responses to captain swan and the underworld.
1. drowning

she doesn't know what to do.

tears falling

lights flashing

voices screaming

she's in the middle of an ocean without her anchor.

because he was her anchor –

the one who kept her standing when everything around her was breaking –

the one who breathed life back into her when she couldn't see the way out –

the one who loved her unconditionally when she needed it most.

and without him

to love her always –

to follow her everywhere –

to be the one who would always be there no matter what –

she's falling into darkness.

she's breaking into a hundred pieces.

she's drowning.


	2. dreaming

he tells the girl to find emma.

because somewhere, way back in his mind, between the locked-up memories of emma and the too-fresh memories of torture

is a dream.

emma, calling to him, telling him that they're coming, they can't find him yet, begging him to speak to her…

but he can't respond

the pain is too much

but he drinks in the light of her face, too pale but golden and precious in a world of fire and darkness.

so he tells the girl to find her.

because killian knows, without a doubt…

his love is coming for him.


	3. fading

When he appears, she can't help but stare for a moment.

Hope.

Let herself believe that she can rescue the man she loves.

She sees the blood, the wounds, the eye swollen shut—

But she can't think about that now, she has to let him know that she's coming for him.

When he disappears, she falls to her knees.

He couldn't hear her.

He doesn't know.

That she cares, that she loves him more than anything, that she's come to the Underworld for him.

And he's in pain and she can't find him.

That's when hope starts to fade away.


	4. knowing

He doesn't remember hearing her.

He woke up from torture-induced sleep and just knew that

 _Emma was in the Underworld_.

Maybe it was her face swimming before his eyes,

Like they'd just been talking and he blinked for a split second.

(That was how he always woke. He always woke with her on his mind and heart.)

This was different.

He heard "Killian!" echoing in his ears

He heard her desperation

 _He knew_.

Because when you love someone, you know.

And he knew that she was coming for him as well as he knew that he was leaving the Underworld.


	5. healing

Killian does not know how he got out of the chains.

He remembers Emma standing on the ledge, the chain dropping him too quickly.

Emma tells him that the chain broke and she dove into the River of Lost Souls after him.

He does remember this.

He stands on the stone, Emma's arms tight around him as he leans on her, their grips holding each other together.

"You found me," he whispers.

She smiles tearfully. "Did you ever doubt I would?"

She rises to her toes and gently, softly, kisses him.

His wounds disappear with the healing of her love.


	6. haunting

It's been nearly two months since she's slept properly.

Night means darkness

Night means the monsters come back to haunt her

Night means memories

Night is the time she can't face without him. And when he's not there to

Hold her

Protect her

Whisper to her until they're laughing or kissing—

The night is a fearsome thing.

Sometimes she can sleep if her parents hold her

But she always wakes with a scream

Because she knows that she will never know true rest until he's in her arms again.

Dark Ones do not sleep.

And neither do lovers left behind.


	7. feeling

He dangles over the River of the Souls, wrapped in chains.

He doesn't feel anything.

No pain.

Not anymore.

All he feels is numbness. Finally Hades is going to get rid of him, he's going to become one of these lost souls floating in this green river.

Then he hears her.

Emma.

She shouts that she's coming, he wants to beg her to stay where she's safe, where she can't share in his fate – but he can't.

So her voice gets closer and closer and he can't see her but he can sense her.

His love has come for him.


	8. saving

She runs to him, almost falling off the bridge, but only wavering

Then she's pulling him to the ledge, unhooking the chain

And finally sees him clearly.

And she knows her agonized whisper reveals all of her pain at seeing his

Then he whispers and she can finally smile for the first time in days

Because he's in her arms.

Somehow so alive.

He's broken and beaten and bloody

But she can't help pulling him close, pushing herself into his arms

Holding him so that he knows she will never let him go

Because Emma's going to save her love.


	9. mending

Emma pushes him down onto the couch lightly and he can't help wincing at the pain

(And also she's sitting too close and not close enough.)

She rests her hand on his cheek

She meets his eyes and tries to smile

And he feels the warmth rush through him

Magic.

Acceptance.

Admiration.

Truth.

Love.

And he feels his ribs mend, his eye open, the gashes stitch themselves together

Because of her love.

(The magic that he can still feel, tingling, whispering to every aching bone.)

She fixes his hair, straightens his jacket, smiles genuinely

He leans forward but

A knock.


	10. beginning

He's still hurting.

Not an hour ago his brother sacrificed himself for him.

To give him a new chance at life, to give him freedom to live.

(Freedom to forgive himself.)

Now he's running back to Emma

Because his brother has given him one thing,

Something he never dreamed he deserved.

(Something he only dreamed of owning.)

The future he's always wanted—

It's his now.

Because of Liam.

Now, as he pulls the one he loves into his arms, kisses her with all his love,

He knows.

He's accepting this gift from his brother.

He's finally getting his happy ending.


	11. loving

She couldn't say it then, when he was back from the dead and they were finally together.

When life was ready for them, waiting.

It looked like a happy ending.

But she couldn't say it.

Because she'd just found out he was alive—because it seemed to be something she had to say—because she was afraid, even though it was true.

So true.

(She leaves him hours later, and she says it then.)

But now, she says it.

Because she wants to.

Because there's nothing to stand in their way now.

No death, no leaving, just them—

Just love.


End file.
